The Inhabitants

Weekend Getaway – The Kumarakom Lake Resort, Kerala

Yes we love Bangalore, but everyone needs to get away from the hustle & bustle for some down time now and then. So we decided to venture out into Kerala’s backwaters.

Whether you’re looking for a big family vacay, or a secluded romantic escapade for two, the Kumarakom Lake Resort caters to both, strangely enough. Located in Kottayam, right beside the gorgeous Kerala backwaters, this luxurious and lush resort has hospitality perfected. We were thoroughly impressed at the continuous attention to detail and warmth we experienced.

How to Get There?

The easiest way from Bangalore is a flight to Kochi, which is a 2 hour drive from the resort, which is what we did.

Friday, 6.35pm – Check-In

We reached late evening (unfortunately missed the famous sunset over the infinity pool) and were immediately greeted with fresh coconut water. We were to spend our first night on the resort’s very own 2 bedroom houseboat which was outfitted exactly like the villas on their property.

Friday, 7.45pm – Asleep Afloat

Complete with its own deck lounge, glass walled dining room, a kitchen with a personal chef and a team of 2 serving the occupants until bed time, we spent a couple of hours looking out at the backwaters and sipping on some vino till it was time to head to the seafood restaurant for dinner.

Friday, 9.10pm – Vembannad

This gorgeous little gem (named aptly after the 2nd largest Indian lake that it sits on) juts out of the resort and is located right on the pier, with candle-lit tables overlooking the water. This place works on prior reservation. Their menu has the best seafood options with a crazy variety and styles of cooking live catches. We opted for a live lobster (grilled) Kerala-style, crispy friend calamari and delish prawn biryani. The food was flawlessly cooked, and absolutely made our night. Their elaborate wine list, and single malts on offer are worth a mention.

Friday, 11.20pm – Snooze O’Clock

After dinner, our boat keeper suggested we sail on the beautiful backwaters at 7.00 am for a 2 hour cruise as this would be ideal to spot local sights like the fishermen, clay transporters, clam catchers and if we’re lucky maybe the snake boat (chundan vallum) racers!

Saturday 6.45am – Ready, Set.. Sail

We’re going to let the pictures do the explaining here..

Saturday 9.10am – Ettukettu

All that sailing got us starving for brekkie, and there’s no better spread than at the historical Ettukettu. Apart from the brilliant variety of food, the coolest fact about this restaurant has got to be the fact that it was built under the commission of the King Marthanda Varma and gifted to his martial arts tutor and maestro, Edamana Kellamthat Gurukkal. Kumarakom Lake Resort had it dismantled from its original location and reassembled in all its glory.

Saturday 11.22am – Ding Dong. It’s Room Service!

Waving our boat goodbye, it was finally time to check into our meandering pool villa.

These villas were absolutely breathtaking, and every single one of them had access into the pool through their porch/room. The pool ledge provided a perfect camping spot to dip your feet in and sip on some afternoon vino ;). Apart from the obvious beauty of the woodwork, and old world charm of the room, the best part was undoubtedly the luxurious and spacious outdoor shower open to sky…aaaand their elaborate room service menu providing a selection of local delicacies as well as global cuisine done perfectly (we were definitely complaining about the vast array of cocktails that made decision-making so much more harder).

Saturday 4.56pm – Evening Stroll

Closer to sundown, we were all set to try our luck with catching the sunset near the infinity pool. Unfortunately the weather didn’t co-operate very much. If it’s even possible, this property looked a whole different kind of gorgeous in the rain.

Saturday 6.22pm – Trinkets and Treasures

Right after devouring freshly cracked coconuts from a live stand that is operational all day for guests of the property, we strolled into their cute store that sells everything from Indian handicrafts to books and clothes.

Saturday 8.50pm – Ettukettu Round 2

Absolutely famished after all the exploration we settled down for a nice early dinner at Ettukettu. The excellent thing about their buffet system is, you hardly see a repeat dish in the few days you stay there, and can easily do all 3 meals in the same place without feeling the monotony.

What we hearted was that we had the same server at our table no matter which restaurant we ate at, and he remembered our drink and food preferences exactly the way we had liked them at previous meals. Such a lovely touch!

Sunday 9.34am – Packed and Ready!

Woke up gutted about our early noon flight, but it had to be done. Driving to Kochi, we were already missing the lush landscape, impecable hospitality and staff that treated you like family. Lucky for us Bangaloreans, God’s Own Country will always be a weekend away.

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